


Sidelines

by sasuskies



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28615326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasuskies/pseuds/sasuskies
Summary: The double date is a double disaster. Sakura has a flair for dramatics. Sasuke likes stalling. The fish is overpriced. Nothing happens. [Based on When Harry Met Sally]
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	Sidelines

The double date is a double disaster.

Sakura has to concede, there isn’t anything wrong with it on paper. But then she can argue, Naruto also doesn’t have anything wrong with him on paper. Idiocy isn’t an illness -- Haruno Sakura, 26, medical resident, (still) single (as it’s looking), is harshly reminded -- no matter how dilapidating it may be. 

It was supposed to go this way: Sasuke introduces her to Naruto. She and Naruto chat. She and Naruto hit off. She and Naruto date for a few months. Sakura, in turn, will introduce Sasuke to Ino. He and Ino chat. He and Ino hit off. He and Ino date for a few months. The consequent events all stemming from an exemplar double date with minimal flaws and winning visage.

What happened: Sasuke introduced her to Naruto. Naruto asked her how she was doing. She told Naruto she was doing fine. Sakura introduced him to Ino. Ino asked him how he was doing. He told Ino he was doing fine. A silence befell the table. Naruto exclaimed, “isn’t that from Konoha U—” to which Ino responded with equal mirth and shock, “did you go to —” Naruto boomed, “what department were you in?”

Sakura and Sasuke, who also attended the same university as their two companions, shared a glance. The rest was history. 

Sasuke goes out for a smoke, of all things. The last time Sasuke went out for a smoke was when Itachi showed up again in his life point blank after being gone for almost ten years. Itachi sat on the foldable chair behind the one-way glass with handcuffs tied around his wrist. Sasuke was called in as counsel for the plaintiff. Sakura firmly believes that he was entitled to that stick.

She is going to strangle Ino.

Ino, oblivious to her friend’s internal strife, blushes prettily as Naruto pays her another compliment. Heinous bitch. The situation is optimal for the blond pair, but it isn’t optimal for the other two who set it up. Such disparity isn’t lost on Sakura, so she excuses herself. She tells them she has to go powder her nose. They laugh over a joke about frogs. They won’t even notice she’s gone, she’s sure. 

She finds Sasuke in the back alley of the restaurant. The sleeves of his dress shirt are folded up to his forearms, there is a cigarette between his lips. 

Sakura squints, “give me one, will you?”

She comes up beside him, leaning her back on the brick wall. She tilts her head up and closes her eyes. 

“You’re going to get your dress dirty,” he tells her. He hands her one from his pack, along with his lighter. 

“It’s black anyway, I’ll be fine.”

She doesn’t have to look at him to know that he disapproves. He’s right, most likely. 

“Naruto and Ino seem to have hit off.” 

He grunts, the stick between his teeth, “they’re too loud.”

“You’re too quiet,” she retorts. He's obviously the better looking friend. Sakura is sure that if he at least tried to rope Ino into conversation, then it would be him inside instead of Naruto. Ino likes dashing, brooding men, but only when they dash and brood the right amount. Sasuke dashes and broods all day. Sasuke broods like it is a competition. Sasuke, abiding by popular belief, hates losing.

He snorts. “you’re too brash.”

“Do men not like it when women speak their mind?” Sakura rolls her eyes for show. She likes to rile him up this way. 

“Not when they insult them in the first ten minutes.”

“I did not insult!”

“No, maybe not, but you did tell the idiot that he has to get checked for laryngitis. Do you go around diagnosing your dates, sakura?”

“No, I do not, Sasuke, but his voice doesn’t sound that well, okay? Seriously, he has to get checked.”

“He’s been that way since we were kids.”

“Before puberty?”

Sasuke nods, “before puberty.”

“All the more reason!”

“I don’t think he even believes in modern medicine. Idiot believes sickness can go away with willpower.”

She scrunches her nose. “I don’t think we’re compatible.”

“I had told you that,” he says softly. He takes a breath again. She does not appreciate his blaming tone.

“Will I die alone, Sasuke-kun? I’m afraid I might.”

“Hm, maybe.”

She kicks his shin. So much for support. Sometimes she wants to strangle him, but that is only sometimes. It’s only unfortunate that tonight happens to be one of those instances. “I’ll kill you.”

“Who’ll replace your lights?”

Her lights have a nasty habit of breaking down. She has him change it at least once a month. She can't reach them herself, and she despises ladders. She mutters, “nevermind.”

“Thought so.”

“Cocky bastard.”

“Hm.”

“Do you think I’ll be single for long?”

He looks at her oddly, like he is scrutinizing a piece of fish. “No.”

“How can you be  _ sure? _ ”

“ _Because_ \--”


End file.
